the ancient spanish monastery

A transplanted Spanish cloister from the 12th century. The cloisters and chapel were so peaceful and beautiful. The history of the monastery was fascinating. Not an easy location to find but well worth the visit if you are in the area.

In 1925 W. Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters from a town in Spain that had been abandoned for years. It was shipped to America and reconstructed in Florida. Interesting history. The site itself is low key. It is presently owned by the Episcopal Church. The entrance is low key and small. The walk across the courtyard to the Cloisters is down played. If you like history it can be interesting but otherwise it can be disappointing. Entry fee is $10. There are few plaques to explain the history.

We joined the late Christmas service in the chappel. It was very nice and they really did a good job. The priest is very into what he is doing.

I got married here in a destination wedding and was amazed that such an ancient structure existed in the U.S. The pictures definitely made it seem as if we got married abroad. We were going to be married in the courtyard but due to light rain they moved us to the chapel at no cost. The surroundings and gardens make for great pictures. The only issue keeping this from being 5 stars is that the location is not great as it's a bit out of the way.

The place is nice, a lot of people in Miami don't even know if exist, I will recommend it for families

The place is awesome, the park is beautifully decorated. I went there for a baptism and even though the church is kinda small, it is very nice and cozy.It is worth to visit.

The monastery is small and simple in comparison with those you would find in Spain or Europe for that matter but, let’s remember that here in the US and especially in Florida it is difficult to find places that are as monumental, impressive and rich in architectural details like in the European countries. The monastery is still very nice, it could probably use some fixing and maintenance but it is pretty and something different to see. For those who love history, enjoy gardens, architecture, and photography a visit to the Spanish Monastery will turn out to be a pleasant one.

I wish I could give this place a better rating but it was lacking a lot. Some of the statues and decorations were badly placed or not that great quality. Like the framed descriptions shouldn't have been placed in the great halls or by some of the statues because it takes away from the setting and pictures. The garden needs a gardener for upkeep, even the grass has a lot of weeds.The little gift shop is the museum! Everything else is just a cathedral where they hold real services and people walk right in! Some people go everyday just to play with the stray cats or feed them.I would have given it better rating but I felt very ripped off as you can see in the photographs. They sell you very expensive tickets even if they are having an event that same day. We were "in the way" of the workers setting everything up on the grounds and cathedral for a wedding. I went with a party of 4, so it was extra expensive. They have no problem charging you for the tickets but they have a problem with you getting in the way of the workers setting up for an event.The tour is a self guided tour inside a tiny room in the front where you read some placks on the wall and walk around. People go into the cathedral for free all the time because it really is a church with service and everything. I wish I had known that. So the real museum part is only the very little room that has pictures, some old items or replicas, and the placks with info on them.It is very beautiful and I do recommend it just be wary of the events and of the prices for the little tiny museum giftshop room.

The truth is, half of the monastery is still in Spain, so if you have ever been in Europe and seen a real monastery, this one is not very impressive. They also modify the original floors and other pieces ...

All the travel guide said was Ancient Spanish Monastery, relocated to the US. We decided to check it out, paid the $8 admission and walked in. Ok... looked like an Ancient Spanish Monastery, statue here, coat of arms over there. Then we bumped into the resident priest, 'You know who you are taking a picture of he asked?' I really didn't. He went on to tell the history of the building and how it was commissioned to honor Alfonso who began to unite Spain. He went on tell that the monastery was on private land in the early 1900's when William Randolph Hearst purchased it and had it shipped to the US. The boxes were keep in storage for years before the monastery was reassembled in current location. If you are a history buff you will probably enjoy your visit here.

Old monastery was neat due to age. A few walking trails (short) and a small museum. A little expensive for what was there but glad that we took the time to stop and check it out.

We had done some brief research before visiting and expected more info once we were there. It's $8pp to get in and they give you a small brochure with minimal background. We had to use our phone to google more in-depth details of what we were looking at. The place is peaceful...our day was not busy and we had plenty of time to explore at our pace and light a couple candles. The chapel was closed but when my husband tried to peek in, a staff member willingly opened it and turned the lights on for us. Overall, a very cool experience and worth the time spent.

Nothing is cooler than 800 year old ruins...unless you could cut out travel time, booby traps & pay a mere $8 to go back in time. Perfect for the family with an imagination but a limited budget for archaeological expeditions. My 9 year old is still talking about this and now owns an Indiana Jones whip...

Crazy history! an old monastery from Segovia Spain dating back 1200 years was bought by the Hearst family, disassembled, and sent via boat to California, but never made it. Got stuck and reassembled in Miami! Padre Alberto, the former catholic priest that got caught with a woman, then married the woman in this monastery as an Epicopalian. Greynolds Park a few blocks away is the best park in Miami . the two together make a great afternoon.

Love this place for photo opportunities ... the history is fantastic and the light shining through the trees make for nice photos any time of the day. It's not very big so you won't get tired walking around. I went their early in the morning and plan to return next time I am back down in Miami.